Rise of the Draken
by Dark-Mage-Quisits
Summary: There are newcomers living on Darling's home world. They say that they are only there to hide from others that are looking for them, but are they? And what of the sudden re-appearance of a man Mari and Darling went to school with? A whole other, undiscovered galaxy has been brought to light and that may mean a new set of enemies, new battles, and a new race of ally's.


Rise of the Draken - The After Dark

She turned abruptly from the blinding white lights of the transport. One of her arms instinctively flew up to cover her face while the other pulled the thick material of her cloak tighter around her neck. Moving to run, she stumbled over a crack in the paved alleyway.

Right into the arms of a whole new threat.

Heavily muscled arms encircled her waist before she could hit the road. The putrid smell of alcohol assaulted her senses. Eyes wide, she took note of the dark spots twinkling in her line of vision. She let out the breath she didn't know she was holding - in the form of a very, very loud scream...

Maris tipped his head to the left as he listened to the crowd aroud him. The new bar bustled with activity. The After Dark was the latest talk of the Empire and it's owner wasn't bad to look at either.

In fact, he and Ture were both eyeballing the man as he interacted with the other patrons.

"I would not mind taking him back to our apartments, Mar." Ture let out a low whistle. Maris reached over to touch his boyfriends arm casually when a shadow fell across the table.

"What we got here, huh?" One of the men said darkly. "A couple of faggots." The man reached down to grab Ture and Maris was ready to kill when another shadow joined the first.

"Hey, how's it going! Hope everthing is well."

It was the owner, and while the look on his face was happy and smiling, there was a dangerous gleam in his dark, black-brown eyes. His was clad in a pair of black pants and a black button down shirt covered his toned frame and his blond hair was cut short and slicked back.

"Hi there, I'm Balthezar Arden; owner and operator of The After Dark." He motioned to the three of them with a false interest. "Is everything okay here?"

"No it's not." The un-named man growled.

Balthezar snorted a laugh. "Oh my, are you sure you're not a wild animal? That growl almost had me calling the Animal Control Team."

Eyes wide, Ture and Maris watched the interaction with caution.

"Did you know you have faggots in your bar?"

Raising one eyebrow, the owner made as if he was thinking about something. "Gimme a sec." He reached around and pulled a menu off the table. "Excuse me, gentlemen, the animal wants to know if we have faggots so I have to see what my hairbrained sister put in this thing."

Ture stiffled a laugh. The owner was picking up for them in the most absurd way.

"Oh! Here we go, she did put them on here! That little brat, I'm gunna skin her alive when she gets home." His mini tirade was hilarious as he tapped the menu in his hands. "Traditionally, on my home world, Faggots are made from offal-which is meat- and from the bits of the animal that are generally discarded for example the heart"-his eyes lowered to the un-named man's chest-"and the liver. We serve ours with a light gravy that adds taste to the dish like nobody's business."

He looked at Maris and Ture, "would you like to try some?"

Maris actually did laugh now. A light spark of ingenuity in his eyes encouraged Balthezar to continue to educate the man that called them out. He spotted another man standing in the doorway and it gave him pause that the other was using a well-known sign language...

Which the owner was responding to in kind.

Maris coughed slightly. "I'd love to try some, what's the cost?"

The owner looked right into Maris's eyes. "Oh, for you two? On the house as my apology for this ingrate animal bothering you and your man."

Floored by such open acceptance of their relationship, Ture's lip quivered slightly. "Thank you. You are so kind."

Another signal passed between the men. Maris caught this one as easily as he would one from his best friend, Darling. The man at the door was dressed in full battlegear and oozed a leathal vibe that screamed 'I-dare-you-to-attack'. "You are so sweet!"

"That's just it, they are the fags!" The unknown man really was losing his temper now.

"Really!?" A high-beat pulsing song droned from the speakers. "Oh. My. Gods! I love this song!" Ture couldn't control his laugh much longer and if the owner continued the way he was going the rest of the club was going to have a real show, real soon.

Balthezar was really enjoying himself as he did a little dance. His best friend and business partner, Killian Kryss stood at the door using sign language to communicate with him. Familiar with the way Balt's mind worked, he hid a smile at his friend's antics.

One of the men at the table that Balt was defending noticed the sign language and, by the light in the dark haired man's eyes, he knew what they were saying to one another. Realizing that the man was allowing them to have their play time, he inclined his head with his platnum blond hair spilling over his shoulders, to him.

He opened the link in his pocket and pointed to the same one on Balt's shoulder. Balt held up one hand and turned it on. "All clear, hon?"

"No sign of your sister, though," knowing he was now included in the game, Killian smiled brightly. "Gods, babe, the way you dance makes me so effing hard."

The men in the booth bust out laughing now. "I'm gunna go have a Fag out back, you good for ten minutes?" Killian said.

"Oh, well, yeah. Duh. Oh course I'm going to be fine on my own sugar." Balt replied with a false air of exasperation. "Right after I take out the trash that's stinking up our bar with it's putrid odor. Wanna give me a hand?"

"Sure."

Maris watched as the owner and the doorman interacted. They were so convincing that it almost appeared that they were together. He and Ture were laughing so hard it was making him light-headed. He enjoyed the way that Ture's eyes lit up when he was happy and that, in turn, made Maris very happy. Right now, that happiness was being caused by the extraordinary acting skills of the owner and his armoured friend.

By the time it took the armoured man to get to the table, the would-be assaulter was gone. "Man, you keep getting better at your acting and we'll have to explain to father why the galaxie thinks your gay."

"I am happy though, and I don't care who knows it."

"Fine, Mr. Proper Terminology!" the new-comer huffed. "But only for you are my most favored friend and ally I would never have agreed to the whole 'let's-do-something-random-and-open-a-bar' idea."

"You love me." Balthezar grinned happily.

"I love you alright." His friend sighed before mumbling under his breath. "Like a Zirsa's sting."

Balthezar frowned. "That was rude."

"No, rude would be you're continuing this game and not introducing me to these yummy men."

"Stop hitting on the patrons!" Bathezar groaned as he slid into the booth beside Ture. "Hi, how ya doin'?"

Ture laughed and took the offered hand. "Ture."

"My name is Balthezar but family and friends call me either Balto or Balt."

Trying to hold back a laugh, Balt's friend slid in next to Maris. "Yeah, just don't call him late for supper - considering he is the cook, that would be a damn near impossible." He offered his hand. "Killian Kryss, entrepreneur, exhibitionist, prince, and currently completely smitten."

The information floored Maris enough that the smile vanished from his face. "You're a prince?"

"Yes, why?" Killian pouted. "Is that all you got from my introduction? Gah, I need a drink."

"Not while we're working you don't." He called a young girl over. "Where in the name of the Gods have you been?"

"I took a wrong turn and ran into a bit of trouble but this kind man helped me and led me home." She motioned to Syn who gave Maris a sharp if-you-tell-Shahara-I'll-kill-you look.

Confused, Maris watched the interaction. Then he began to spot the similarities in the two.

"Balt is her older brother. Isn't that right, Kayne?" The girl lifted bright green eyes to Killian and the others at the table, shame flitted across her face. "I was worried sick about you, little one."

Her fire red hair fell across her face. "I'm so very sorry, my Lord Killian." She offered a formal bow. "It won't happen again. My apologies, _kiadros_, for worrying you on opening night. Please, may I still sing?"

Killian drew her into a tight hug and so did her brother. "To your heart's content, _miada_." Balt replied, using his peoples word for little sister. He watched as she ran for the back stairway to change for her debut show.

"Our sister is gunna be either the death of us both or the life of the party."

"I vote for option two." Killian said lightly. "I'm so sorry about that. You see, my brother, sister and I are from another solar system that is currently under seige and-"

Syn cut him off. "You three are siblings?"

"Best of friends, siblings, and we watch each other's backs like nobody's biz." Balt confirmed. "And you three are?"

"Maris Sulle." Maris held out his hand and offered a tenative smile. "My boyfriend Ture and this man here is my friend Syn."

Syn pulled up a chair and sat down. "You three all look so different, explain how, exactly, that you are related?"

The boys faced each other with a air of defeat. "We, Killian and I, were adopted by the High Lord Reisen Shield after a bad battle turned our home into rubble. By blood, there is no relation." Killian licked his lips as he glanced around at the three men at the table while Balt spoke.

Balt stopped talking. He reached over to touch his brother's hand. "Lian?"

"I'm fine."

"Liar."

"Sue me."

"With your legal mind-hell no!" They both burst out laughing. Maris saw in them the same relationship he saw between himself and Darling. He placed his hand over theirs and smiled. "Oh, sorry. It's just that..."

"Somehow we always know."

Maris grinned. "I get it. A very good friend of mine and I are the same way." He leaned back casually in the booth. "Why would the King of your Solar adopt you? Does he know that..."

He didn't want to offend the boys by asking something so foreward, but the knowledge that the King may not know irked him slightly.

"Father know's I'm gay and he's got no issues with it. I consider myself lucky that he was kind-hearted enough to take me and Balt into his home and raise us with his own children as if there were no other place for us." Killian said softly. "Wait... um, Balto? Where's the link? Adai wanted us to call when we were settled to see if we needed anything."

"A leash for our rambunctous, adorable, mouthy, pestulent sister wouldn't go astray." Balt handed over the object in question. Syn smile at Maris; yeah, they had a friend or two like that too.

"Sweet, that girl don't need a leash, she needs a hobby. Preferably one that involves children 'cause it's what she's best at."

"So, not to be callous or anything," Syn said lightly. "Why are you settled here?"

Before either of them could answer, the young red-headed girl came bouncing back to the table. "Saiya said you called in the order for these." She put the tray of food onto the table and took a step back. Hands held out in front of her, she bowed low. "Sainoia, my brother's, enjoy! I'm going to go get dressed for my debut."

Balt watched the girl run up the stairs.

"Wow." Ture said with delight. "This looks D-E-V-I-N-E!"

A slight tinge of pink flitted across Balt's face. "This is the dish that my people call Faggots. I took the liberty of ordering for you so that you could try it."

Maris and Syn watched as Killian took a picture of the food and turned on the link. The screen flashed several times before the image of an aging woman answered. Her nose crinkled slightly at the sight of the young man.

"Good gracious, Killian, what in the galaxie are you doing in a battle suit? You best not be fighting."

Laughing, he blew the woman a kiss. "Hello, Grandis Melie. No, I'm not fighting."

"Thank the Gods! I can't bear the thought of losing one of my many grandchildren." She sighed. "Where is your brother and sister? I sincerely hope that you three aren't into anything dangerous."

Maris could not hold back his laughter any longer than Syn could.

"Dear me, who's with you, Precious?"

"I am, Grandmother." Balt said loud enough for her to hear. "We've opened a nice little establishment in another solar. As well, it appears that we've made friends with a few of the locals."

The old woman laughed. "I'm glad to hear that your putting all your skill sets to good use. Remember what your father said before he sent you thee off and never forget that in order to serve the people you need to understand them and their needs."

The night had gone so well that the boys had invited them to a private party they were having the next night in honour of Killian's twenty-third birthday. Maris, Ture, and Syn knew that these three would be highly interesting given the way that they interacted with each other.

"I'm surprised that Killian is the Crowned Prince." Syn said as they walked away from the bar.

"I'm only surprised that Ture didn't bust from all the food that he'd eaten." Maris said with a laugh. "My poor baby."

Ture tried not to fall asleep in his man's arms as he grinned. "Yes, but that dish was utterly amazing!"

A transport stopped in front of them. As the door opened, a familiar face got out and grimmaced slightly. "Holy heck."

"Garrion?" Maris couldn't believe his eyes. " What are you doing here?"

Syn raised one brow expectantly. "Who the Hell are you?"

"It's good to see the years have not blemished you any, Maris." The man called Garrion said holding out his hand. As for who I am, Sir, I will let that little fire-storm fill in a few blanks in... Five. Four. Three. Two. On- omph!"

As fast as lightening, Kayne plowed into the Regent, knocking him to the cold ground. "Uncle Garrion!"

Several guards that Syn didn't notice before surrounded them.

Unfazed by the multitude of armed men, Kayne stood defiant in their wake. "Touch these three and I'll send you back to Drakonis in body bags. Lord Garrion is my father's youngest brother and I won't hesitate to kill for him if the need arises. Now, go make yourselves do something useful."

"Princess, we were not informed that you were coming."

"Duh, father wanted our locale kept on the D-L if ya'll know what I mean. Not that it matters."

Garrion held up on finger, effectively silencing his boisterous niece. "Sweet, go fetch your brothers."

She arched a brow. "Maman, Papa, and Grandmother all agreed that we should mingle with the people."

"Oh, I see. This -" he waived a hand at the bar "is your way of staying out of trouble and hiding in plain sight?"

She leveled him with a droll stare. "I only have a few months before I need to be prepped for Sanctum Solara."

Maris, who had been silently watching from the sidelines, spoke then. "A monestary?"

"Convent?"

Kayne giggled lightly as she handed Ture a small bag. "I was on my way out to because you left that behind."

Ture took her aside while the others talked for a bit. When they all left, Kayne went inside to sent a message to her new friend.

_ Be safe._


End file.
